Investigators believe that a fire that destroyed two cars in Port Coquitlam overnight may have been caused by a botched attempt to steal a catalytic converter.

Coquitlam RCMP said the theory is supported by witness accounts and video evidence, though cautioned it was still early in the investigation.

Police are now looking for four male suspects and an dark, older model sedan. One of the suspects is described as a tall, lanky man with a grey hoodie, who was wearing a headlamp.

The blaze happened near Riverside Drive and Riverside Gate, where neighbours told Global News they awoke around 3:30 a.m. to find the two vehicles engulfed in flames.

Some residents told Global News they heard loud popping noises and that they feared an explosion, as there was a strong smell of gasoline in the air.

“I woke up to a bang. I came out, looked out the window — the whole side was on fire so I called 911 and just continued to watch. The first car was on fire, and before the fire trucks were here, the second vehicle caught on fire,” neighbour Cathie Cox recalled.

“My husband had to move his car, which was across from it — you could feel the heat through the window.”

A torched vehicle is towed away from the scene of an overnight car fire in Port Coquitlam.

Neighbour Jennifer Strain said she woke up to the smell of smoke, which she initially thought was coming from inside her own house.